To function efficiently, manufacturing and service facilities depend on getting the right component part to the right worker at the right time. Modern facilities are typically divided into different work areas (e.g., receiving, welding, assembly, shipping, etc.), and parts are brought to specialized workers in those areas to perform a job function. Many inefficiencies result from the logistics involved with moving parts around a facility floor. If the correct part is not in the appropriate work area at the right time, a worker has to waste time finding the part somewhere in the facility.
Additionally, many of today's manufacturing and service facilities use paperwork to detail job tasks needing to be performed to build or service a particular part. Using paperwork to track part manufacturing and service tasks is cumbersome, inaccurate, and often requires more time finding and keeping the requisite paperwork up to date than manufacturing or servicing the part. A worker typically has to locate the appropriate paperwork, update it correctly when a specific job task is finished, and then ensure it is affixed to the part during travel to the next work area. Such a process is only as good as the workers who maintain the accuracy of the paperwork, and even the best workers typically cannot ensure the appropriate paperwork always follows an associated part. Countless man hours are wasted tracking such paperwork and keeping it up to date. And the typical reaction of management to improve the efficiency of the process is to add additional paperwork, tracking steps, or other administrative tasks, most of which further complicate things.
Even worse, worker productivity is drastically reduced when workers must search for parts that are not in the correct work areas. Welders hunting for paperwork or parts spend less time actually welding. The end goal of any manufacturing or service facility is to maximize the amount of time specialized workers spend performing their specialized job tasks. Miring workers down with administrative paper tasks or part-hunting expeditions reduces the time spent actually manufacturing or servicing parts.